The future of Red Bull’s Formula 1 drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen has been a talking point in 2017, but Verstappen has now extended his deal with the team.
Verstappen’s contract was going to expire at the end of the 2019 season, a year which is likely to be key to the driver market with several top contenders set to be out of contract.
He could now remain at Red Bull for the long-term and Verstappen believes the team can build the best car on the grid.
But has Verstappen made the right call? Fans have had their say in the Autosport Forum:
V8 Fireworks: Why is Verstappen committing to Red Bull for 2020, without even knowing if Red Bull-Honda, likely from 2019 onwards, will be competitive!?
HeadFirst: Max and his Dad are not stupid. No doubt there is a solid basis for their belief, that this contract move is the best for Max.
We just do not know what they have based their decision on.
sopa: He better have a performance clause if Red Bull goes for Honda in 2019!
I would also say though that a top driver holds all the cards to choose the best seat for himself in the future. It seems a bit premature to tie yourself to a team long-term.
Especially as there are serious clouds of doubt about its long-term perspectives.
Or maybe he believes Red Bull can be like Benetton was for [Michael] Schumacher and Renault was for [Fernando] Alonso, and it will still rise to the top.
Quickshifter: Red Bull’s engine option for 2019 isn’t confirmed, no manufacturer will be entering until the 2021 season and Honda turning it around to challenge for wins in 2019 is a huge question mark.
If Renault refuses to supply Red Bull in 2019 and Honda does not produce an engine capable of winning races things may get really tricky.
Max is the most sought-after driver in F1 and he could have waited until the second half of 2018 in my opinion before extending his contract as that could have given him more information to take a decision on his future.
Neno: So, he will come to one of the big teams in 2020.
Tenmantaylor: He’s still so young and to get a multi championship winning team around you at such a young age can only be a good thing. What better team could he go to?
Lewis [Hamilton] and Sebastian [Vettel] will both likely be number one at Mercedes and Ferrari.
If Max starts to peak then regardless of Red Bull’s competitiveness he’ll be primed for a top seat at any team.
Swck81: Both Lewis and Seb like this! Shame though. I would love to see him against one of them in a Ferrari or Mercedes…
messy: After all that’s been said lately and all the noises that have come out of the Verstappen camp, I’m pretty surprised here.
I assumed that they were very much eyeing [Valtteri] Bottas’s Mercedes seat. You would, wouldn’t you?
Always thought it was just a matter of time before Max was in a Mercedes. Especially with Red Bull and Honda being pushed together and the unreliability of the [Red Bull-Renault] package this year, I really didn’t expect Max to extend his deal at this point.
DILLIGAF: Alonso was also convinced McLaren/Honda would give him a world drivers’ championship chance.
I hope Max doesn’t end up wasting an extra year with a Renault or Honda engine that can’t match the Mercedes or Ferrari.
RPM40: I wouldn’t call it a poor decision just yet. Red Bull have had better race pace than Merc lately. They may come good.
He’s obviously just got himself more money and likely has exit clauses. It’s probably a bit of a non-issue.
This may also help the team keep credibility. If Red Bull lost both Daniel [Ricciardo] and Max there is a good chance Dietrich Mateschitz would grow bored of it and leave.
EightGear: I can only imagine the performance clauses this new deal will have.